


Cacophony

by taichara



Category: Machine City Knights - Erin A. Bisson
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 14:56:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2625905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taichara/pseuds/taichara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, words just aren't going to be enough.  Especially not when dealing with people who just want to make things burn.</p><p>Being a Gendarme can suck sometimes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cacophony

**Author's Note:**

> _prompt: any, any, the gun goes off with a deafening bang_

_[Damn fools aren't any of us \-- come get them, Eleni, before they give us a bad name --]_

An address and jump coordinates -- a plaza in the northwest quadrant of Gould Sector, why was she not surprised -- had been attached to Kilroy's brief burst of a transmission, and nothing else. Now, if Eleni didn't know the old bastard as well as she did, she'd have expected the whole thing was a diversion, or a trick. But know him she did; and if there was one thing Kilroy _didn't_ do, it was screw around when he was masterminding a protest, which meant that the call was legit.

Of course it didn't hurt that she and Halcyon and the rest of the squad were already monitoring the protest in question, either.

_We couldn't just have a nice, normal, quiet sort of day, just casually knocking back java after uneventful patrol and watching folks have legitimate issues with access-of-information. Nooo, that would've been too easy. Damnit._

_Well, Ci'll be happy anyway. Idiot 'protesters' means less time for paperwork._

"So what's going on, El, I caught that look on your face. I'm going to assume it isn't the lunatic suggesting he take over for us again."

Halcyon's drawl, half amused and half exasperated, cut over the replaying call in her earset. With a snort of resignation Eleni shook her head.

"No, it's the protest; there's an infiltration of blacksuits and it's ready to all go south.  
"So we're going to pack ourselves up and get it taken care of before all hell breaks loose and our nice little afternoon's show turns into a shitstorm."

"You sure you're not a closet anarchist yourself or something, Lieutenant? You sure seem to have a lot of useful contacts sometimes ~"

"Stow it for later, Lohnes, we've got work to do."

Eleni, clipping extra armour plates into place, was grinning anyway.

"Besides, it's just one really useful contact. He just never shuts up about it."

-*-

So here they were, Gendarmes in their shiny steel-blue and grey armour and speedy skimmers, bursting out of a jump point into Bryson Plaza. Bryson Plaza, where intellectual types wandered between giving lectures on ancient history and flower fanciers argued over the merits of different heirloom daisies or something. Halcyon couldn't decide who looked more shocked by the squad's sudden arrival, the protestors or the locals.

_Yeah, anyone ready for violence in this mob is only looking for causing whatever damage that they can. What the deathseeking hell, seriously._

Hard on Halcyon's right, Eleni had the kind of shuttered expression that spoke oh so eloquently of agreement with their assessment. But, seriously now, what kind of assholes infiltrated a quiet protest over a demand for free access to historical records?

_Assholes that want to stir up shit, that's what._

_Oh and maybe goons hired by idiots who want to deny that access, but I don't get paid for that kind of navel-gazing so --_

Cutting thrust, Halcyon coasted their skimmer to a stop a nice comfortable distance from the assembled crowd -- close enough to act if needed, not so close as to threaten -- and signaled the squad to follow their lead. Eleni was pulling to a halt a stretch closer, and Halcyon could spot Kilroy slipping towards the front of the milling protestors; whether to volley words at the squad or to watch the proceedings, they had no idea. The uneasiness of the protesters was unmistakable, though; and so was the way people seemed to constantly try to edge away from the same half-dozen scattered bodies.

_So those are probably our marks, then._

Ignoring Kilroy, Eleni had smoothly dismounted from her skimmer and was approaching the crowd, armour flashes active and holo-ident hovering above her hand. Halcyon watched her like a hawk, wings cramped tight against their back, and alongside them Lohnes was doing the same. 

"Lieutenant Eleni Ilioni. CJD.  
"We've been monitoring the demonstration and have reason to believe that there are individuals present who have less than noble intentions."

Her gaze swept across the crowd.

"As you are all aware, _peaceful_ protest is permitted by the law. If there are individuals here whom you feel are uninvited and a detriment to your cause, and you can provide evidence of distress they have cause, speak up and we will deal with the situation.  
"This is not a breakup of your demonstration. I repeat, this is _not_ \--"

"ROT IN HELL, LAPDOG!"

The crowd erupted in shrieks and scattered as the boom of a jury-rigged magblaster that knocked Eleni back, spiderwebbing her armour and making her see stars, echoed across the Plaza. Before she'd regained her feet Halcyon had Eliza unholstered, scanning with plated wings mantled high in a snap that shocked attention from the idiot that took the shot --

_So much for diplomacy!_


End file.
